Steam-trap



(No Model.) ZSheets-Sheet 1.

H. A. TOBEY.

, STEAM TRAP. No. 451,533. Patented May 5', 18-91.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R EA R T m AB M H M d 0 0 w No. 451,533. Patented May 5, 1891,

In V517 b1" UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

HENRY A. TOBEY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,533, dated May 5, 1891.

Application filed March 2,1887. Serial No. 229,395. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, I-IENRY A. TOBEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Traps; and I do hereby'declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of my invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In the steam-traps that are in common use in which a closed hollow float is used to actuate the discharge-valve it is established by practice that under pressure such a float eventually fills with water and ceases to be operative. The shell of such float must be of sufficient thickness to resist the pressure to which it is subjected. Consequently the float must be of sufflcient size to obtain buoyancy sufficient to support its own weight in addition to that required to raise the dischargevalve against the pressure in the trap, and consequently the case of the trap inclosing such a float must be very large in proportion to the capacity of the trap. In the class of steam-traps in which the difference between the specific gravity of two'substances is used to actuate the discharge-valve, there exists the same objection of undue size and weight, for only a portion of the buoyancy obtained by the amount of water displaced is utilized in raising the discharge-valve. The most serious objection found to traps of the classes just mentioned, as well as to that class of steam-traps in which the discharge-valve is actuated by an open-mouthed float rising and falling as it is alternately emptied and filled, is that, unless they are crowded to almost vtheir entire capacity, water collects in them just high enough to lift the float and valve a little, and then escapes as fast as it collects, in a thin sheet between the valve'and its seat under the full pressure in the trap. The eifect is that the continual action of this thin sharp stream soon cuts grooves in the valve and valve-seat and the trap becomes practically worthless. It is established by practice that if a valve of any k1nd be so far opened that the area of its opcnmg 1s substantially equal to either the inlet or outlet, as the case may be, it will be but little worn by the action of a flowing medium, while, on the contrary, wear rapidly increases as this area is proportionally lessened.

The main object of my improved trap is to overcome these objections. In my improved trap the discharge-valve is actuated by an open-mouthed weighted float of peculiar construction, which when emptied rises quickly and closes the valve tightly and when filled sinks rapidly and suddenly throws the valve wide open. The action of the trap is thus rendered intermittent and positive.

In addition to the above-mentioned advantages my improved trap has others of importance, which will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of my improved trap. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the valve and bifurcated end of valve-lever, and Fig. 4 is a cross-section just above valve-lever.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all drawings.

A is a hollow cylindrical casting forming the shell or body of the trap.- It is open at the top and has extending from the bottom a projecting portion forming recess B. The interior of casting A is designated as chamber K, and has an opening into it near the top into which inlet-pipe t is secured.

D is a circular-shaped casting forming the lid or cover of casting A, and is securely bolted to flange O of casting A. Casting D has cast integral with it an elevated portion E, the interior of which forms chamber F and central opening .9, into which is. secured pipe I) leading from the interior of the float to chamber F.

G is a projecting portion of casting D E, containing valve-chamber H, which freely communicates with and is really a part of chamber F and has opening c-b'elow, into which is secured the discharge-pipe and opening cl above, through which the valve and valve-seat are introduced and removed, said opening being closed by cap 6.

P is a casting of suitable shape forming the base or support of the trap.

J is a hollow float located in chamber K, having a central upward-projecting extension or neck f and a central downward-projecting IOO portion f. j' is open at the top and forms the mouth or inlet to' floatJ from chamber K. f is closed at the bottom.

bis a pipe or tube, which is rigidly fastened into opening 3 in casting D and extends through the mouth of projection f down through float J to the bottom of projection f, when said float is raised, as shown in drawings.

L is a weight 01' sinker in the shape of a sleeve surrounding projection f, to which it is rigidly secured. The weight of said sinker, in conjunction with that of the shell of the float, should be equal to the greater portion of the buoyancy of the water displaced by said float and sinker. In other words, float J is so loaded that it will barely, when empty, rise with its attached mechanism. Sufficient weight may be provided, as shown, or the shell of the float may be of sufficient thickness to provide the requisite weight.

on is a rod which is secured to the bottom of projection f of float J, and extends through pipe 1) into chamber F, the upper end of said rod ending in a link or loop which embraces loosely the shank of screw 0:, said screw being secured in the end of long arm of lever N, Figs. 2 and l, said connect-ion being freely movable and having lost motion vertically. Lever N is located in chamber F. Its fulcrum is at it. Its long arm, as stated, connects with rod 071, and its short arm is bifurcated and engages valve 0, Figs. 2, 3, and 4. Valve 0 rests 011 valve-seat w and closes the outlet from the trap. The body of said valve has guides, both above and below its connection with lever N, which are in contact with the walls of chamber ll, and has shoulders or contact-surfaces 7g 1, Fig. 3, to engage bifurcated end of said lever.

n is a stem connecting the upper and lower portions of the body of valve 0, and rests loosely in the crotch formed by the bifurcation of the end of lever N, Figs. 3 and 4. Valve 0, therefore, is free to be turned on its vertical axis independently of lever N, and can be readily ground to fit its seat while said lever is in position by removing cap a and placing the end of a suitable tool in slot it in the top of said valve.

In Fig. 3, g is a screw that closes an opening into chamber ll opposite valve-seat to, which can be removed to permit the introduction of emery and oil to valve and valve-seat when it is desirable to grind them.

Valve-seat w is secured in and removed from place by means of a suitable tool or wrench introduced from above when valve 0 and lever N are removed.

0 is a plug closing an opening into chamber F, through which lever N may be introduced to position and screw as introduced through the loop or link of rod m and secured in the end of the long arm of said lever.

7L is a belt which passes through one side of the casting E G, through lever N, forming the fulcrum for said lever, and is secured into the opposite side of said casting, Fig. i.

The operation. is as follows: Chamber K being filled with water to line 2', Fig. 2, float J being fully raised and empty, discharge-valve 0 being closed, and steam pressure throughout the trap the same, water e11- ters chamber K through inlet-pipe t. Vater collects in chamber K and fills the same until its level reaches the top of projection f of float J. The water then begins to flow into the open mouth of projection fdown into float J. \Vhen sufficient .water has collected in float J to overcome the buoyancythat is, in excess of that required to lift the conjoined weights of the shell of said float and that of sinker Lfloat J begins to sink and falls to the bottom of chamber K, rapidly filling with water as the top of projection f of said float sinks below the level of the water in chamber K. lVhen float J is resting on the bottom of chamber K, the top of projectionf of said float is on a line just above the dotted line z and the bottom of the body of float J is on a line just above the lower end of pipe I). FloatJ in its descent engages the end of long arm of lever N by means of rod m, drawing it down, therebyraisin g dischargevalve 0 and opening the same, the lost motion of the loop 011 rod on starting lever N and valve 0 with a slight impulse or knock. \Vhen valve 0 is opened, pressure in chambers II and F and in pipe b is relieved. Pressure, therefore, in chamber K causes water to flow from said chamber to float J, from float J up through pipe I) to chamber F, thence to chamber H, and through open valve out into discharge-pipe c. \Vhen water has been discharged from chamber K down to the level of the top of projection f of float J, no more water can enter said float; but the water contained in said float continues discharging. lVhen float J is emptied sufficiently to obtain the buoyancy requisite to lift the weightwith which it is loaded, said float begins to rise and continues to rise until the parts of the trap are returned to their original positions, (shown in drawing Fig. 2,) water continuing to be discharged from float J until valve 0 is closed. When float J is down and water has been discharged from chamber K down to the level of the top of projection f of float J, there is by reason of the small area of upward extension f nearly as much water retained above the body of the float between the level of the top of said extension and the top of the body of said float, as is displaced by the body of said float, projection f, and sinker L. Therefore when float J begins to rise the quantity of water thus retained immediately displaces said float, causing it to rise rapidly to the position shown in the drawings. It will be observed that if suflicient water were not retained above the float when emptied to rapidly lift it to its original position, or if the slow collection of the water of condensation were relied upon to gradually close the dischargevalve by means of a float or other mechanism, the seating'of the discharge-valve must be imperfect and the difficulties which my invention is intended to obviate would be encountered.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A steam-trap comprising in its construction a shell containing a float having an upward extension or neck of less area than its body, and an annular space between such neck and shell, adapted, as described, to contain suflicient water to rapidly fill said float when it begins to sink and to rapidly lift the float when empty to the limit of its upward throw, substantially as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

2. In a steam-trap, the shell A, containing the float J having upward extension or neck f, and an annular space between the neck and shell, adapted, as described, to contain sufficient water to rapidly fill said float when it begins to sink and to rapidly lift the float when empty to the limit of its upward throw, in combination with the lower neck or extension f, substantially as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

3. In a steam-trap, the float J, having upward and downward extensions or necks f f of less area than the body of the float, and adapted, by means of the water contained in the annular spaces surrounding said necks or extensions, to rise rapidly when empty to the limit of its upward travel and to rapidly fall when full to the limit of its downward travel, in combination with the discharge-valve and the valve-actuating mechanism intermediate said float and valve,substantially as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

HENRY A. TOBEY. Witnesses:

CLEMENT CARPENTER, A. S. HILL. 

